Monday, February 12, 2007

hathway broadband pune - a critical review

I was using BSNL dataone broadband for a while when I was in Chennai.
I moved to Pune recently. I applied for BSNL Dataone in Pune...
I could not get the connection due to heavy demand and nonavailablilty of new connections !!!
So I looked for other options... I went for Hathway Cable broadband connection, pune with great expectations...

I called their numbers and paid a 2100 RS in advance for 8-to-8 liteway 256 kbps unlimited broadband connection. It took about 7 days for them to install everything at my place. (modem and the wire connection)
Alas, I didn't get any connection for first two weeks !! I couldn't browse anything.
I called up their customer care N number of times, but nothing was happening....
Finally I went to their office and I enquired...
Finally, they came and checked everything and found that their "brand new" cable modem is a faulty one !!!

They took 2 days to replace it and finally I got the connection I wanted...

First thing I did was I checked the download speed.
OMG!!! It was very poor on any standards...

I took 256 kbps unlimited connection (8 to 8 liteway)
I got a download speed of about 100 kbps, not even half of what they promised !!!

If you have such a speed your total download for a day (with this hathway unlimited connection) would be about 530 Mb per day...

some calculations :
100*3600*12/(8*1024) = 527.34 MB per day

This is very very poor !!!
I can say I got more than this with the 500 RS / 1 GB plan of BSNL where I can download for free from 2 am to 8 am... Download speed was blazing in BSNL Dataone... It was always 256 kbps !!! They deliver what they promised - very good na??

So my final verdict is BSNL Dataone is the best connection around... But you cannot get it easily !! So till you get your BSNL connection you will have to bear with the messy hathway connection.

6 comments:

Unknown said...

THE WORST EXPERIENCE I EVER HAD (HATHWAY).

I took a 512kb prepaid connection from Hathway 3 months back (1500 + tax).

It worked for 1 day and it stopped.
Multiple calls to the Customer service center finally answered saying "there is a problem in your area and it will take 10 days to rectify it". After 10 days they told me it will take 20 more days. After a month they said it will still take 15 more days to make my connection online.

After one and half month finally the LEDs of my modem started to glow. But the speed was pathetic. I cant even compare it with GPRS connection via my mobile.

I called up the customer care and they said they will extend the vaildity period, just to mail them on the details.

I had mailed them 4 mails with no reply. Even my calls were answered saying it will be done, but nothing happend.

Right after the 3 months, from the connection given date, they disconnected my connection. When I called up again, the "LADY" said that she was not responsible for any commitments given and they dont have a process to extend it.

They want me to again pay 1500+tax to extend my connection. (As there is no stupid process).
They dont have an answer for the money which is in their pocket, which I was not able to use. But still their "PROCESS" does not say so, they will not do so.

Now the only option I have is to take it to the Court and see if I can get a fair deal.

I did not ask for any free offers or charity. All I wanted is a fair deal and dont want my money in the pocket of ISP GUNDAS.

This is the same story with my neighbours who had taken the same connection.

This is worse than Robbery or blackmailing.

Just a day before my connection getting disconnected, I called up the customer care who told me that there is still a problem in my area and they are working on it. He also told me that the connection will not be terminated without informing me.

This is a pathetic situation, the company had taken my money and not willing to pay it back or give servie for it.

If anyone is ever going to take Hathway connection, BE WARNED, they are worse than pick pocketers.
Dont ever take this connection.

shreyas said...

i cannot agree more. every word written here is true. my own experience with hathway is a vidication. i used to use bsnl broadband when i was at my hometown - sangli. the speed was absolutely blazing and above expectations. i never ever had any problems there.

now after moving to pune, due to unavailability of landline at the location, i had no option but to go for hathway (as i wanted to be connected as early as possible).
and then started this ordeal ....

they installed the modem and everything withing the 7 working days that they had promised. so we had high hopes. btw, i had opted for the 256kbps unlimited download plan costing around rs.2100 for 3 months.
now after the connection started working, i was awestruck looking at the speed. for a 256kbps line the maximum download speed i got was 11KBps i.e. 88kbps MAX. and that was also the max that i noted. the speed used average below 10KBps i.e. below 80kbps!!!
compare that to the promised 256kbps!!
i kept it on for a night of downloading, and by the morning (i.e. in 12 hrs) 330MB was downloaded.
now if we do the calculations,
330*1024/(12*60*60) = 7.82KBps i.e.
62.58kbps!!
this is lower than even 1/4th of what they had promised. and lower than the court-benchmark of 64kbps or above to be qualified as broadband.

just for a comparison of speeds,
on my idea gprs i get an impressive 11KBps (i.e. 88kbps) consistently.
on a bsnl dial-up (forget broadband) 4-5 years back, i used to get around 5-6KBps.
so in this case of hathway, i am paying unlimited-broadband charges, but what i am getting is a petty 'unlimited' dial-up access!! not to mention their incosistent network that keeps going down time and again.

also one more feather in their cap - u cannot get to talk to their customer care service. it's always 'servicing some other call', no matter at what time you call. my friend and i have been trying day and night for last few days just for one chance to talk to their 'customer-care', but without any success. it has been a very frustrating experience so far.

i think i made a big mistake by opting for 3 months initially. i should have gone with 1 month so that i would have got a taste of their service and would not have to lose such a big sum for no value at all.

please be aware of this fraudulent practice and be cautious when opting for a broadband plan from hathway. i would suggest u ask around in your area about the service (especially the unlimited one) and then only decide.

i hope this helps at least one person.

svinit_life said...

Yes, I fully agree with you. I also use hathway broadband 256 package but it has very poor speed . They have good "customer bother " ( customer care ? ) service. Please anybody do not use hathway broadband anymore... I request you.

arjun66 said...

sir i live in pune and my name is arjun seth i have taken internet of hathway 1 month back and iam not able dounload any dacuments i have compalained many times but they are not giving response my id no is 399553

arjun66 said...

i am arjun seth i have taken 128kbps conection 20 days before and any document are not being dounload i have complained many times but nobody is giving response my id no is 399553

arun said...

@arjun:
Hathway is not soo good in customer care services. Better you visit their office and ask them. Making phone calls might not work with them always...